King John - History Learning Site King John Citation: C N Trueman "King John" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 5 Mar 2015. 20 Oct 2016. King John was born in 1167 and died in 1216. Like William I, King John is one of the more controversial monarchs of Medieval England and is most associated with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. John was born on Christmas Eve, the youngest son of Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. As a child, John tended to be overshadowed by is older brother Richard. Like his father, John developed a reputation for violent rages which lead to him foaming at the mouth. Henry left no land to John when he died so John was given the nick-name John Lackland. In 1189, all of Henry’s territory went to his oldest son, Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart. In 1191, Richard left England to embark on the Third Crusade. He left John in charge of the country.

John’s reputation as a leader had been severely dented as far back as 1185 when Henry II sent him to Ireland to rule. John proved to be a disaster and within six months he was sent home. In 1192, Richard was imprisoned by Duke Leopold of Austria as he returned from the Crusades. John tried to seize the crown from his brother but failed. In 1194, when Richard finally returned to England, John was forgiven by his brother. In 1199, Richard was killed in France and John became the king of England. His reign started in an unfortunate way. In 1202, John’s nephew, Arthur of Brittany, was murdered. Many in Brittany believed that John was responsible for his murder and they rebelled against John. In 1204, John’s army was defeated in Brittany and John had no choice but to retreat. His military standing among the nobles fell and he was given a new nickname – John Softsword. The defeat in north France was a major blow for John and a costly one. To pay for the defeat, John increased taxes which was not popular with anybody other than John and his treasurers.

John also succeeded in falling out with the pope in 1207. John quarreled with the pope over who should be Archbishop of Canterbury. The pope excommunicated John and put England under a Church law that stated that no christening or marriage would be legal until the time the pope said that they would be. Church law said that only christened people could get to Heaven while children born out of marriage were doomed to Hell. This placed people in England under a terrible strain and they blamed one person for this – John. In 1213, John had to give in and surrender the spiritual well-being of the whole country to the pope. However, the pope never fully trusted John and in 1214, the pope proclaimed that anybody who tried to overthrow John would be legally entitled to do so. In the same year, John lost another battle to the French at Bouvines. This defeat resulted in England losing all her possessions in France. This was too much for the powerful barons in England. In 1214, they rebelled. John was forced to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215.

This guaranteed the people of England rights that the king could not go back on. In 1216, John tried to go back on the Magna Carta but this only provoked the barons into declaring war on him. By 1216, John was ill. During the war, he suffered from dysentery. He also lost all of his treasure when he tried to take a shortcut across a stretch of water in the Wash, Lincolnshire. As the tide rose faster than he expected, his baggage train was engulfed. Just a few days later, John died and was succeeded by Henry III. Despite the obvious failings of John, there is still some evidence that he was not as bad as some have tried to make him out to be since his death. It certainly was not uncommon for kings to have their names tarnished when they were not alive to defend themselves! The picture of a monster, put forward by Roger of Wendover and Matthew Paris must be rejected forever. John had the administrative ability of a great ruler but, from the moment he began to rule, rivals and traitors tried to cheat him out of his inheritance. As he wrestled with one problem, more enemies sprang upon his back.

William Stubbs written in 1873. John had potential for great success. He had intelligence, administrative ability and he was good at planning military campaigns. However, too many personality flaws held him back. R. Turner written in 1994 John was a tyrant. He was a wicked ruler who did not behave like a king. He was greedy and took as much money as he could from his people. Hell is too good for a horrible person like him. Matthew Paris, C13th chronicler 52 John Softsword - The History of England The History of England This is my retelling of that story of the English, in a regular, chronological podcast, from the cataclysmic end of Roman Britain, all the way through to the present day. I’m a bloke in a shed, so this is not a dry retelling of events; I make sure this is good, properly prepared history, but I fill it with my love and enthusiasm for history, and some of the things that make me laugh.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 52 John Softsword As a younger man, John had been given the nickname Lackland because unlike his brothers he didn't have his own appanage. At the Treaty of Le Goulet in May 1200 he acquired the name Softsword - people couldn't understand why he'd signed away Gisors, parts of Berry, £20,000 and bent his knee to Phillip. On the other hand, John probably felt he'd had a good deal. Then John caused fury with the Lusignan by stealing their bride, they appealed to Phillip and and Phillip declared John to be stripped of his lands. But at the start of the war, John gets off to a flyer. The Treaty of Le Goulet, May 1200 The main terms of the treaty were John recognised as Henry's heir Phillip receives some Norman fiefs and parts of Berry and £20,000 John's niece Blanche of Castille and Phillip's son Louis will marry, and the dower will be the disputed Gisors John will do fealty to Phillip It looked like a reasonable deal.

In fact, it made it clear that the Angevins were subservient to the French king, which previously had just been a form of words. But John, from a commanding position in September 1199 was weaker in May 1200; his allies, the Counts of Flanders and Boulogne had left of crusade and John probably felt himself lucky. Marrriage and the Lusignan In 1200 John rocked up at the castle of his troublesome vassal, Aymer of Angouleme. There he met the 12 year old Isabella of Angouleme, and was so smitten that he married her the same year at Westminster. Even in those days, marriage to a 12 year old was unusual - a betrothal would have been more normal - but the Count didn't seem to object. Now there were perfectly good reasons for marrying the girl, quite apart from her charms. Angouleme was a powerful count, had always been a problem to the Angevins, and this brought them inside the tent. But unfortunately Isabella was already betrothed to Hugh le Brun, count of Lusignan.

John could have made it work - but he didn't. He sent sheriff's into their lands and goaded them. The Lusignans appealed to Paris for justice from John, and took up the sword. John tried to avoid giving them the justice they deserved and in the end, Phillip was able to wade in on the Lusignans' side. So in 1203 it was war again. Victory at Mirebeau Phillip's plan in the war was not new - Athur to attack the centre of he empire along hte Loire valley, while Phillip distracted John in Normandy. At first all went to plan; John's army was not ready, and Eleanor of Aquitaine was forced to flee ahead of Arthur's army, taking refuge in Mirebeau. Hugh de Lusignan (Hugh le Brun) and Arthur beseiged Eleanor and were confident of capturing her in a few days. John marched the 80 miles from Rouen to Mire beau in 2 days, picking up William des Roches and completely surprising Lusignan and Arthur at Mirebeau. It was a complete victory. Arthur, the Lusignans and all their knights were captured and imprisoned.

Here's John's letter home: "Know that by the grace of God we are safe and well and God's mercy had worked wonderfully with us, for on Tuesday before the feast of St Peter ad Vincula, when we were on the road to Chinon, we heard that the lady our mother was closely besieged at Mirebeau, and we hurried there as fast as we could, arriving on the feast of St Peter ad Vincula. And there we captured Arthur, whom William de Briouze delivered to us, and Geoffrey de Lusignan, Hugh le Brun, Andrew de Chauvigni, the viscount of Chateleraut, Raymond Thouars, Savary de Mauleon, Hugh Bauge and all our other Poitevin enemies, and none escaped. Therefore God be paraised for our happy success" If John had not managed to upset and lose the loyalty of William des Roches almost immediately, history could have been very different. But he did. Arthur was sent to Rouen instead of being in des Roches's custody, and William rebelled, taking maine and Anjou with him.

King John Lackland King John Lackland Location of death: Newark, Lincolnshire, England Cause of death: Illness Remains: Buried, Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, England Gender: Male Nationality: England Executive summary: Signed the Magna Carta, then reneged John Lackland, King of England, the youngest son of King Henry II by Eleanor of Aquitaine , was born at Oxford on the 24th of December 1167. He was given at an early age the nickname of Lackland because, unlike his elder brothers, he received no land rights in the continental provinces. But his future was subject of anxious thought to Henry II. When only five years old John was betrothed (1173) to the heiress of Maurienne and Savoy, a principality which, as dominating the chief routes from France and Burgundy to Italy, enjoyed a consequence out of all proportion to its area.

Later, when this plan had fallen through he was endowed with castles, revenues and lands on both sides of the channel; the vacant earldom of Cornwall was reserved for him (1175); he was betrothed to Isabella the heiress of the earldom of Gloucester (1176); and he was granted the lordship of Ireland with the homage of the Anglo-Irish baronage (1177). Henry II even provoked a civil war by attempting to transfer he duchy of Aquitaine from the hands of his brother Richard the Lionheart to those of John (1183). In spite of the incapacity which he displayed in this war, John was sent a little later to govern Ireland (1185); but he returned in a few months covered with disgrace, having alienated the loyal chiefs by his childish insolence and entirely failed to defend the settlers from the hostile clans. Remaining henceforth at his father's side he was treated with he utmost indulgence. But he joined with his brother Richard and the French king Philip Augustus in the great conspiracy of 1189, and the discovery of his treason broke the heart of the old king.

Richard on his accession confirmed John's existing possessions; married him to Isabella of Gloucester; and gave him, besides other grants, the entire revenues of six English shires; but excluded him from any share in the regency which was appointed to govern England during the third crusade; and only allowed him to live in the kingdom because urged to this concession by their mother. Soon after the king's departure for the Holy Land it became known that he had designated his nephew, the young Arthur of Brittany, as his successor. John at once began to intrigue against the regents with the aim of securing England for himself. He picked a quarrel with the unpopular chancellor William Longchamp, and succeeded, by the help of the barons and the Londoners, in expelling this minister, whose chief fault was that of fidelity to the absent Richard. Not being permitted to succeed Longchamp as the head of the administration, John next turned to Philip Augustus for help. A bargain was struck; and when Richard was captured by Leopold, duke of Austria (December 1192), the allies endeavored to prevent his release, and planned a partition of his dominions.

They were, however, unable to win either English or Norman support and their schemes collapsed with Richard's return (March 1194). He magnanimously pardoned his brother, and they lived on not unfriendly terms for the next five years. On his deathbed Richard, reversing his former arrangements, caused his barons to swear fealty to John (1199), although the hereditary claim of Arthur was by the law of primogeniture undoubtedly superior. England and Normandy, after some hesitation, recognized John's title; the attempt of Anjou and Brittany to assert the rights of Arthur ended disastrously by the capture of the young prince at Mirebeau in Poitou (1202). But there was no part of his dominions in which John inspired personal devotion. Originally accepted as a political necessity, he soon came to be detested by the people as a tyrant and despised by the nobles for his cowardice and sloth. He inherited great difficulties -- the feud with France, the dissensions of the continental provinces, the growing indifference of England to foreign conquests, the discontent of all his subjects with a strict executive and severe taxation.

But he cannot be acquitted of personal responsibility for his misfortunes. Astute in small matters, he had no breadth of view or foresight; his policy was continually warped by his passions or caprices; he flaunted vices of the most sordid kind with a cynical indifference to public opinion, and shocked an age which was far from tenderhearted by his ferocity to vanquished enemies. He treated his most respectable supporters with base ingratitude, reserved his favor for unscrupulous adventurers, and gave a free rein to the license of his mercenaries. While possessing considerable gifts of mind and a latent fund of energy, he seldom acted or reflected until the favorable moment had passed. Each of his great humiliations followed as the natural result of crimes or blunders. By his divorce from Isabella of Gloucester he offended the English baronage (1200); by his marriage with Isabella of Angoul�me, the betrothed of Hugh of Lusignan, he gave an opportunity to the discontented Poitevins for invoking French assistance and to Philip Augustus for pronouncing against him a sentence of forfeiture.

The murder of Arthur (1203) ruined his cause in Normandy and Anjou; the story that the court of the peers of France condemned him for the murder is a fable, but no legal process was needed to convince men of his guilt. In the later quarrel with Pope Innocent III (1207-13) he prejudiced his case by proposing a worthless favorite for the primacy and by plundering those of the clergy who bowed to the pope's sentences. Threatened with the desertion of his barons he drove all whom he suspected to desperation by his terrible severity towards the Braose family (1210); and by his continued misgovernment irrevocably estranged the lower classes. When submission to Rome had somewhat improved his position he squandered his last resources in a new and unsuccessful war with France (1214), and enraged the feudal classes by new claims for military service and scutages. The barons were consequently able to exact, in Magna Carta (June 1215), much more than the redress of legitimate grievances; and the people allowed the crown to be placed under the control of an oligarchical committee.

When once the sovereign power had been thus divided, the natural consequence was civil war and the intervention of the French king, who had long watched for some such opportunity. John's struggle against the barons and Prince Louis (1216), afterwards King Louis VIII , was the most creditable episode of his career. But the calamitous situation of England at the moment of his death, on the 19th of October 1216, was in the main his work; and while he lived a national reaction in favor of the dynasty was out of the question.

John "Lackland" Plantagenet, King of England (1166 - 1216) - Genealogy John "Lackland" Plantagenet, King of England Also Known As: "Johan sanz Terre", "Lackland", "Softsword", "Jean sans Terre", "Sword of Lat", "Soft-sword" Birthdate: in Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England Place of Burial: Plot: The Quire, Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire, England Immediate Family: King of England, KING OF ENGLAND Managed by: Dec 31 1166 - Beaumont Palace, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England Death: Oct 25 1216 - Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England Spouses: Hawise Plantagenet (born de Tracy), Suzanne de Warenne Daughter: Dec 31 1166 - Kings Manor House, Oxford, England Death: Oct 26 1216 - Newark Castle, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England Parents: Henry II Curtmantle King of England Plantagenet d'Anjou, Eleanor De Poitier Duchess Aqu

itaine Plantagenet d'Anjou (born Consort England) Wife: Dec 31 1166 - Kings Manor House, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England Death: Henry II Plantagenet King Of England, Eleanor Plantagenet (born Of Poitou) Wife: Dec 31 1166 - Kings Manor Hous Oxford Oxfodshire England Death: Oct 26 1216 - Newark Nottinghamshire England Wife: Isabella Of Plantagenet (born Angouleme) Son: Queen of England Isabella de Taillefer d'Angouleme, Isabella Plantagenet (born de Taillefer) Children: Dec 31 1166 - Beaumont, Oxfordshire, England Death: Oct 26 1216 - England, Norfolk Wife: ?

Plantagenet Children: ...t, Robert Plantagenet, Joane of England Plantagenet Queen of Scotland, Isabella Plantagenet, Eleanor Plantagenet, Earl Guillaume of Pembroke Dec 24 1166 - Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Death: Oct 19 1216 - Newark, Nottinghamshire, England Buried: Worcester Cathedral Parents: Isabella FitzRobert, Lady Agatha Clementina, Ferrers Pinel, Clementia Pinel Children: ...hn, Isabella Hohenstaufen, Eleanor Montfort, Richard of England, Henry of England, Joan of Scotland, William Plantagenet, Johanna Colepepper Dec 31 1166 - Oxford, Oxford, England Death: Dec 31 1166 - Kings Manorhouse, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England Death: Oct 26 1216 - Newark, Nottinghamshire, England Wife: Dec 31 1166 - Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Death: Oct 26 1216 - Newark Castle, Notts, England Son: About John Lackland, King of England alternate birth location details Kings Manor House, Oxford, Oxfordshire

, England several sources also give his birth year as 1167 other possible death date ; 19 October 1216 ================================================ a short summary from tudorplace website (since it does give the most "wide" summary I could find); JOHN I "Lackland" PLANTAGENET (King of England) Born: 24 Dec 1166, Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Acceded: 27 May 1199, Westminster Abbey, London, England Died: 18/9 Oct 1216, Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire Buried: Worcester Cathedral Notes: Signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede, 1215.

Reigned 1199-1216. His reign saw renewal of war with Phillip II Augustus of France to whom he has lost several continental possesions including Normandy by 1205. He came into conflict with his Barons and was forced to Sign the Magna Carta. His later repudiation of the charter led to the first barons war 1215-17 during which John died. Burke says he was born in 1160. King of Ireland 1177, Count of Mortain 1189, Earl of Gloucester. It is known that Agatha Ferrers was a mistress of John, but it is only supposition that she is the mother of Joan. Father: HENRY II PLANTAGENET (King of England) Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine Married 1: Isabella FITZRICHARD (C. Gloucester) 29 Aug 1189, Marlborough Castle, Wiltshire Divorce 1199 Married 2: Isabella of Angoulême (b. 1189 - d. 31 May 1246) (dau.

of Aymer Taillefer, Count of Angoulême, and Alice De Courtenay) 24 Jun/Aug 1200, Bordeaux Children: 1. HENRY III PLANTAGENET (King of England) 2. Richard PLANTAGENET (1º E. Cornwall) 3. Joan PLANTAGENET (Queen of Scotland) 4. Isabella PLANTAGENET (Empress of Germany) 5. Eleanor PLANTAGENET (C. Pembroke / C. Leicester) Associated with: Agatha De FERRERS Children: Associated with: Clemence DAUNTSEY (wife of Henry Pinel) Associated with: Suzanne PLANTAGENET 7. Richard FITZJOHN (B. Chilham) Associated with: Hawise De TRACY Children: 9. Osbert GIFFORD (d. AFT 1216) 10. Geoffrey FITZROY 11. John FITZROY of Courcy (Knight or Clerk of Lincoln) (d. 1242) 12. Eudo FITZROY (d.

ABT 1242) 13. Ivo FITZROY 15. Richard FITZROY (Constable Wallingford Castle) 16. Matilda PLANTAGENET (Abbess of Barking) 17. Blanche (Isabella) PLANTAGENET ================================================ Wikipedia Links: ==================================================================== Citations / Sources: [S4] C.F.J. Hankinson, editor, DeBretts Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage, 147th year (London, U.K.: Odhams Press, 1949), page 20 . Hereinafter cited as DeBretts Peerage, 1949. [S7] #44 Histoire de la maison royale de France anciens barons du royaume: et des grands officiers de la couronne (1726, reprint 1967-1968), Saint-Marie, Anselme de, (3rd edition. 9 volumes. 1726.

Reprint Paris: Editions du Palais Royal, 1967-1968), FHL book 944 D5a; FHL microfilms 532,231-532,239., vol. 1 p. 474, vol. 6 p. 77. [S8] Les Capétiens, 987-1328 (2000), Van Kerrebrouck, Patrick, (Villeneuve-d'Ascq [France]: P. Van Kerrebrouck, 2000), FHL book 929.244 C171v., p. 453. [S11] Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), pages 65-66, 71. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Families.

[S13] #379 [7th edition, 1992] Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, Who Came to America Before 1700: the Lineage of Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Malcolm of Scotland, Robert the Strong, and Some of Their Descendants (7th edition, 1992), Weis, Frederick Lewis, (7th edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, c1992), FHL book 974 D2w 1992., p. 3 line 1:26. [S17] Plantagenet Ancestry, 2011 ed., Richardson, Douglas, (Kimball G. Everingham, editor, 2nd edition, 2011.), vol. 1 p. 23, 25. [S18] Matthew H.C.G., editor, Dictionary of National Biography on CD-ROM (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1995). Hereinafter cited as Dictionary of National Biography. [S22] #374 The Lineage and Ancestry of H. R. H.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (1977), Paget, Gerald, (2 volumes. Baltimore: Geneal. Pub., 1977), FHL book Q 942 D22pg., vol. 1 p. 15, 17. [S23] #849 Burke's Guide to the Royal Family (1973), (London: Burke's Peerage, c1973), FHl book 942 D22bgr., p. 195. [S32] #150 [1879-1967] A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage, Together with Memoirs of the Privy Councillors and Knights (1879-1967), Burke, Sir John Bernard, (London: Harrison, 1879-1967), FHL book 942 D22bup., 1949 ed. preface p. ccliii.

[S37] #93 [Book version] The Dictionary of National Biography: from the Earliest Times to 1900 (1885-1900, reprint 1993), Stephen, Leslie, (22 volumes. 1885-1900. Reprint, Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1993), FHL book 920.042 D561n., vol. 29 p. 402-416. [S39] Medieval, royalty, nobility family group sheets (filmed 1996), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family History Department. Medieval Family History Unit, (Manuscript. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1996), FHL film 1553977-1553985.. [S40] Handbook of British Chronology (1986), Fryde, E. B., editor, (Royal Historical Society guides and handbooks, no. 2.

London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society, 1986), FHL book 942 C4rg no. 2., p. 37. [S54] #21 The complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant, Cokayne, George Edward, (Gloucester [England] : Alan Sutton Pub. Ltd., 1987), 942 D22cok., vol. 3 p. 29, 430. [S69] #2251 The Royal Bastards of Medieval England (1984), Given-Wilson, Chris and Alice Curteis, (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1984), FHL book 942 D5g., p. 127. [S70] The Henry Project, Baldwin, Stewart, ( ), . [S71] Domesday Descendants, Keats-Rohan, K.S.B., (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2002), 942 D3kk., p. 231.

[S81] #125 The Royal Daughters of England and Their Representatives (1910-1911), Lane, Henry Murray, (2 voulmes. London: Constable and Co., 1910-1911), FHL microfilm 88,003., p. 58, 158. [S84] Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Richardson, Douglas, (Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21202, copyright 2004), p. xxviii. [S96] Henry II (1973), Warren, Wilfred Lewis, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973), JWML book DA206 W37 1973., p. 137.

[S266] #379 [7th edition, 1992] Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, Who Came to America Before 1700 (7th edition, 1992), Weis, Frederick Lewis, (7th edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, c1992), FHL book 974 D2w 1992., p. 106 line 117:27, p. 134 line 153:28. [S338] Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families (2004), Richardson, Douglas, edited by Kamball G. Everingham, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2004), FHL book 942 D5rd., p. xxviii.

[S347] Plantagenet Ancestry of Seventeenth-century Colonists: the Descent from the Later Plantagenet Kings of England, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III, of Emigrants from England and Wales to the North American Colonies Before 1701 (2nd ed., 1999), Faris, David, (2nd edition. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999), FHL book 973 D2fp., p. 279 PLANTAGENET:16. John Lackland, King of England's Timeline 1166 Alfonso the Slobberer and Ivar the Boneless: Worst Nicknames for Medieval Rulers - Medievalists.net Medievalists.net Alfonso the Slobberer and Ivar the Boneless: Worst Nicknames for Medieval Rulers October 22, 2013 by Medievalists.net Alfonso the Slobberer Medieval kings and rulers often got nicknames.

If you were lucky, you would be called the Good, the Great, or the Hammer (honourable mention goes to John II, Duke of Cleves, who got nickname the Babymaker for having fathered 63 illegitimate children). Those monarchs who didn’t perform as well might get the name the Bad, the Cruel, or the Mad. However, a few men from the Middle Ages had rather unusual nicknames, and probably ones they really didn’t want. Here is our list of the top ten worst nicknames given to medieval rulers. Alfonso the Slobberer Alfonso IX, King of León and Galicia – he was a fairly successful ruler of the northern part of Iberia during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, managing to stay on the throne for 42 years. However, the North African scholar Ibn Khaldun noted that he was called Baboso or the Slobberer because he would foam at the mouth whenever he got upset. Bermudo the Gouty Bermudo II was another King of León and Galicia, ruling from 982 to 999.

His campaigns against Islamic state of al-Andalus had some initial success, but Muslim armies eventually captured many of his most important cities and even sacked Santiago de Compostela in 997. Meanwhile, Bermudo suffered from gout, a medical condition that can cause severe inflammation of the foot, particularly around the big toe. By the last year of his reign, Bermudo’s gout was so severe he could no longer ride on horseback and had to travel around on a litter. Constantine the Name of Shit Constantine V was the Byzantine emperor from 741 to 775, but his harsh stand against the use of icons in the Christian church earned him many critics. They gave him the nickname Kopronymos, which means ‘Name of Shit’, allegedly because when Constantine was an infant be defecated in the baptismal font. Haakon the Crazy Haakon was the Earl of Norway and steward for the four year-old King Guttorm, making him the most powerful man in northern kingdom.

When Guttorm died in 1204, Haakon tried to be elected the new king, but the Norwegian nobles voted against him as he was born in Sweden (this probably made him very upset). While he was normally quite sane, Haakon got his nickname “the Crazy” for his reputation on being frenzied in battle. Henry the Impotent Henry the Impotent Henry IV of Castile ruled the Spanish kingdom from 1454 to 1474, but he got to the throne he he was known for a royal scandal. When he was fifteen, Henry was married to Blanche II of Navarre. Thirteen years later, Henry sought a divorce, stating that they had never consummated the marriage. The Catholic church held a trial, where they confirmed Blanche’s virginity and received testimony from several prostitutes who explained that Henry’s sexual prowess was just fine, except when it came to his wife. The divorce was granted, and Henry married his cousin Joan of Portugal – she bore him one daughter (although later on his subjects had their doubts on whether he was the father) and then Joan spent most of her time having affairs with various lovers.

Ivar the Boneless One of the great Viking leaders of the ninth-century, Ivar and his brothers commanded the Great Heathen Army that invaded England in 865, which established Viking-rule over much of the country. The sagas and chronicles about him give very different reasons on how he got the name Boneless: one poem even states he had no bones at all! In other accounts it was said that his men carried Ivar on a shield, which has led some historians to speculate he suffered from a genetic disease where he had brittle bones, or that he had lost use of his legs. Ivaylo the Swineherd Ivaylo was a just a simple peasant who worked as a swineherd, but in 1277 he led a rebellion against the Bulgarian monarchy. The Bulgarian emperor Constantine I went to do battle with the peasant army, but he was defeated and killed (supposedly by Ivaylo personally). A year later Ivaylo became the emperor, although his reign lasted until 1279.

He tried to get his throne back with the help of the Mongols, but the local Mongol commander decided to accept a better offer and killed Ivaylo in 1281. He also had the nicknames Raddish and Cabbage. Jean the Poorest Man in France John II, Duke of Alençon and Count of Perche, was fifteen when he fought at the Battle of Verneuil in 1424. There he was captured by the English and imprisoned for five years. To pay off his ransom of 200,000 saluts d’or, Jean had to sell off all his possessions, while another English lord took control of his duchy. When he was released in 1429, he was called “the poorest man in France”. However, he soon became good friends with Joan of Arc and served as one of her top commanders. She gave him a new nickname: The Fair Duke King John Softsword John Lackland/Softsword King John of England is considered one of the least successful monarchs of the island kingdom (which is why there has not yet been a John II).

When his brother Richard the Lionheart died in 1199, John inherited a powerful Angevin empire. Within a few years, he was completely driven out of Normandy by the French, and would soon be facing upheaval in England. By the end of his reign, John had signed the Magna Carta which stripped him of many of his royal powers. His lack of military success earned him the nickname ‘softsword’ from English chroniclers. Years before he became king, however, John’s own father Henry II gave him the nickname ‘Lackland’ when he realized this son would not be getting much of an inheritance compared to his older brothers. Justinian the Slitnosed The Medieval Magazine Justinian II was the Byzantine Emperor from 685 to 695, and dreamed of conquests and enlarging his empire. However his draconian rule led to an uprising where Justinian was captured and deposed. His captors also cut off his nose, believing this mutilation would make sure that he could never become Emperor again. However Justinian would regain the Imperial throne in 705 – he paid for an army of Bulgars and Slavs to sneak him into Constantinople by surprise.

His second reign (705-711) was marked by Justinian now wearing a golden prosthetic nose and being an even worse tyrant. Eventually the Byzantines rose against him again, and Justinian’s own soldiers seized and beheaded him. Sign up to get a Weekly Email from Medievalists.net * indicates required Filed Under: Features Tagged With: Kingship How you can Follow Us! Advertisement Worst Nicknames in History - Tower.Tails.Online Tower.Tails.Online Worst Nicknames for Medieval Rulers By Ælfhild Ragnarsdóttir, 2015 Medieval kings and rulers often got nicknames. If you were lucky, you would be called the Good, the Great, or the Hammer (honourable mention goes to John II, Duke of Cleves, who got nickname the Babymaker for having fathered 63 illegitimate children). Those monarchs who didn’t perform as well might get the name the Bad, the Cruel, or the Mad. However, a few men from the Middle Ages had rather unusual nicknames, and probably ones they really didn’t want. Here is our list of the top ten worst nicknames given to medieval rulers.

Alfonso the Slobberer Alfonso IX, King of León and Galicia – he was a fairly successful ruler of the northern part of Iberia during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, managing to stay on the throne for 42 years. However, the North African scholar Ibn Khaldun noted that he was called Baboso or the Slobberer because he would foam at the mouth whenever he got upset. Bermudo the Gouty Bermudo II was another King of León and Galicia, ruling from 982 to 999. His campaigns against Islamic state of al-Andalus had some initial success, but Muslim armies eventually captured many of his most important cities and even sacked Santiago de Compostela in 997. Meanwhile, Bermudo suffered from gout, a medical condition that can cause severe inflammation of the foot, particularly around the big toe. By the last year of his reign, Bermudo’s gout was so severe he could no longer ride on horseback and had to travel around on a litter.

Constantine the Name of @!#$ Constantine V was the Byzantine emperor from 741 to 775, but his harsh stand against the use of icons in the Christian church earned him many critics. They gave him the nickname Kopronymos, which means ‘Name of @!#$’, allegedly because when Constantine was an infant be defecated in the baptismal font. Haakon the Crazy Haakon was the Earl of Norway and steward for the four year-old King Guttorm, making him the most powerful man in northern kingdom. When Guttorm died in 1204, Haakon tried to be elected the new king, but the Norwegian nobles voted against him as he was born in Sweden (this probably made him very upset). While he was normally quite sane, Haakon got his nickname “the Crazy” for his reputation on being frenzied in battle. Henry the Impotent Henry IV of Castile ruled the Spanish kingdom from 1454 to 1474, but he got to the throne he he was known for a royal scandal. When he was fifteen, Henry was married to Blanche II of Navarre.

Thirteen years later, Henry sought a divorce, stating that they had never consummated the marriage. The Catholic church held a trial, where they confirmed Blanche’s virginity and received testimony from several prostitutes who explained that Henry’s sexual prowess was just fine, except when it came to his wife. The divorce was granted, and Henry married his cousin Joan of Portugal – she bore him one daughter (although later on his subjects had their doubts on whether he was the father) and then Joan spent most of her time having affairs with various lovers. Ivar the Boneless One of the great Viking leaders of the ninth-century, Ivar and his brothers commanded the Great Heathen Army that invaded England in 865, which established Viking-rule over much of the country. The sagas and chronicles about him give very different reasons on how he got the name Boneless: one poem even states he had no bones at all! In other accounts it was said that his men carried Ivar on a shield, which has led some historians to speculate he suffered from a genetic disease where he had brittle bones, or that he had lost use of his legs.

Ivaylo the Swineherd Ivaylo was a just a simple peasant who worked as a swineherd, but in 1277 he led a rebellion against the Bulgarian monarchy. The Bulgarian emperor Constantine I went to do battle with the peasant army, but he was defeated and killed (supposedly by Ivaylo personally). A year later Ivaylo became the emperor, although his reign lasted until 1279. He tried to get his throne back with the help of the Mongols, but the local Mongol commander decided to accept a better offer and killed Ivaylo in 1281. He also had the nicknames Raddish and Cabbage. Jean the Poorest Man in France John II, Duke of Alençon and Count of Perche, was fifteen when he fought at the Battle of Verneuil in 1424. There he was captured by the English and imprisoned for five years. To pay off his ransom of 200,000 saluts d’or, Jean had to sell off all his possessions, while another English lord took control of his duchy.

When he was released in 1429, he was called “the poorest man in France”. However, he soon became good friends with Joan of Arc and served as one of her top commanders. She gave him a new nickname: The Fair Duke King John Lackland/Softsword King John of England is considered one of the least successful monarchs of the island kingdom (which is why there has not yet been a John II). When his brother Richard the Lionheart died in 1199, John inherited a powerful Angevin empire. Within a few years, he was completely driven out of Normandy by the French, and would soon be facing upheaval in England. By the end of his reign, John had signed the Magna Carta which stripped him of many of his royal powers. His lack of military success earned him the nickname ‘softsword’ from English chroniclers. Years before he became king, however, John’s own father Henry II gave him the nickname ‘Lackland’ when he realized this son would not be getting much of an inheritance compared to his older brothers.

Justinian the Slitnosed Justinian II was the Byzantine Emperor from 685 to 695, and dreamed of conquests and enlarging his empire. However his draconian rule led to an uprising where Justinian was captured and deposed. His captors also cut off his nose, believing this mutilation would make sure that he could never become Emperor again. However Justinian would regain the Imperial throne in 705 – he paid for an army of Bulgars and Slavs to sneak him into Constantinople by surprise. His second reign (705-711) was marked by Justinian now wearing a golden prosthetic nose and being an even worse tyrant. Eventually the Byzantines rose against him again, and Justinian’s own soldiers seized and beheaded him. King John - Battle Castle King John Blog King John Known as Lackland and Softsword, King John was king of England when the French laid siege to Chateau Gaillard and Dover Castle.

Enemies: Henry II, Richard I, King Philip II, Prince Louis Castles: Chateau Gaillard, Dover Castle Personality: Shortsighted, Willful Known as Lackland and Softsword, John succeeded his brother, Richard I, to the throne of England in 1199. Though an impassioned individual, he had little skill in either diplomacy or war. His abrasive personality and frequent affairs with married ladies of court cost him alliances in England, while his lack of foresight compromised almost all of his nation’s holdings on the continent. For these and many other reasons, the Barons of England forced John to sign the Magna Carta, limiting his rights to absolute rule. When John ignored its provisions, the Barons invited the French prince, Louis, to conquer England and claim the crown. To this day, historians debate John’s role and depiction. Was he truly a fool in king’s clothing, or did contemporaries and artists exaggerate the man’s shortcomings?

Question: Which English King had nicknames of 'Lackland' and 'Softsword'?
Answer: JOHN